This invention relates to heavily perfumed particles and their use in detergent compositions. More particularly it relates to perfume particles having both immediate and long lasting perfume emitting properties.
The use of perfume in various consumer products for aesthetic reasons is well known. Detergent compositions in particular generally contain a perfume. The perfume is normally simply admixed with the remainder of the detergent composition--whether it is a liquid or solid detergent composition. While the perfume does not add to the performance, it does make the product more aesthetically pleasing and the consumer has come to expect such products to have a pleasing odor.
Perfumes are composed of various volatile substances. Due to these characteristics the perfume is continually emitted from a composition containing same. Various techniques have been developed to hinder or delay the release of the perfume from the composition so that the composition remains aesthetically pleasing for a prolonged length of time. For example, see West German Pat. No. 825,293, Dec. 17, 1951, East German Pat. No. 115,693, Oct. 12, 1975, U.S. Pat. No. 3,772,215, issued Nov. 13, 1973 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,567,119, issued Mar. 2, 1971. While such methods of prolonging the release of perfume from the composition are effective to a limited extent, there is still a need to economically formulate a perfumed particle which continually emits perfume for a substantial length of time.
It will be recognized that desirably a product should initially have a pleasant smell and be capable of delivering that pleasant smell over a long length of time. Encapsulation techniques have a tendency to enclose the perfume such that its perfume emitting properties are not noticeable until actual use of the product, that is when the encapsulating material is dissolved and the perfume is released therefrom. Such techniques generally are expensive also. Sorption techniques of "fixing" perfumes have the drawback of generally low perfume loads and high perfume losses during manufacture. It is desirable in detergent composition usage that the product smell pleasantly while in storage and emit perfume upon addition to water. Prior art methods of encapsulation and sorption have not satisfied these requirements.
It is an object of this invention to formulate a perfumed particle having a high level of perfume and having the capability of emitting perfume over a prolonged time period.
It is another object of this invention to provide a perfumed particle which gives an immediate and long lasting perfume effect and additionally releases perfume upon contact with water.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a perfumed particle made by an efficient and economical process.
It is another object of this invention to formulate a detergent composition containing perfumed particles such that the composition emits perfume for a substantial length of time during storage and upon contact with water.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the description which follows.
As used herein all percents and ratios are by weight unless otherwise indicated.